With Silver Bells and Cockle Shells

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary
How does your garden grow?"
"With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row."

Yes, in case you're wondering, I am feeling better. I got to the chiropractor on Friday, and apart from him being a) cute, in a "10 years or more older than I am, married, with kids" kind of way, and b) extraordinarily knowledgable and willing to inform about the musculoskeletal system, he was also a very good chiropractor. He had the right kind of hands. I go back on Monday, since I've been prescribed 6 visits, and he said that for whiplash I got off pretty easy. This I knew. I felt sore after the visit (but I knew I would, since I always do after an adjustment), but felt much more mobile. I was very careful not to lift anything heavy or do anything hardcore to pull my spine back out of alignment last night while finally planting our awesome garden out front.

That's right! We have a garden! It has flowers and plants and bushes and rocks. (The bushes are still very small, of course) It looks kind of naked, because the plants are smallish, but they will get bigger with time, and meanwhile we filled in some of the space with rocks that our landlords brought down from their cabin.

The fun part about planting the garden was deciding where everything was going to go. A lot of it is experimental, since we have no idea what will live through the winter (despite all of the plants being a) perennials, and b) supposedly frost-hardy). Some of the plants are groundcovers that we are hoping will spread and grow between the other plants. There are a couple of ornamental sages and some blanket flowers (see above) and some coreopsis:


So now we have a pretty garden out front between the sidewalk and the street, and we have a veggie garden with tomatoes, marigolds, peppers and herbs (basil, thyme, mint, oregano), and a zuchini plant in a space all its own. And then this morning I planted the annuals in our old window planters and assorted pots (coleus, impatiens, a fern that likes shade) and put the begonias in pretty pots (one is a peach color, and one is scarlet, because if I'm going to have a begonia I must have a scarlet one)



My rosemary is in a big pot; the yard looks so much better, and I can actually move. Life is good.